1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers and more particularly pertains to such containers which have a large base and a reduced top portion and are designed to contain various fluids such as catsup, shampoo, hand lotion or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of pour spouts associated with containers is known in the prior art. More specifically, constructions heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of passing the contents from a container through a pour spout thereon are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Specifically, the problem of removing the dregs of a viscous or thick liquid from a container has not been addressed by the art. Most bottles and similar containers for such fluids are conventionally made with a reduced neck portion which serves to discharge the contents therethrough. When the user gets down to a small amount remaining in the bottle the usual remedy is to tilt the bottle upside down and to lean it against a support to drain from the bottom. Trying to balance the container on its narrow upper end is difficult and frequently results in accidents. At best, this approach will effect removal of most of the contents but, without extreme patience, not all of same. Pour spouts, which are a very convenient way of extracting and directing the contents from a container, are pretty much universally positioned adjacent the top of such container. Typical of this art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,944,406; 3,552,607; and 5,004,126. U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,128 utilizes a tubular member extending down into a bottle but such tube is pulled outwardly to form a flexible dispensing nozzle in use and, in any respect, would not serve to dispense viscous material from the side of the bottle.
In this respect, the pour spout construction according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of dispensing the entire contents of a viscous or thick liquid from a container.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved means which can be utilized for dispensing thick or viscous liquids from a container. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.